, 1887-07-14
SOME PERILS In PORT.
A FEW OF THE DANGERS BEsETTiNe
THE MARINER WHEN IN HARBOR.

TIE mNrNINEh WF'CN NV T'NNoS"
Tho Terrible Winds In West Indian
Ports-The Deadly "Yeiiow jack"
Adventures In Both Hemispheres-A
Narrative of Personal Experience.
Especial Correspondence
Boston, June O.
How often one hears that such vessel or
such person has arrived safely In port, rs
though all the danger to be apprehended by
the mariner was from wind and sea, and
while upon the wide ocean. But an expert
enccd sailor will tell you that the safest
place by far for the seaman Is upon tho
water, that with the rear approach Of land
the danger increases, and not even when the
anchor is down in harbor is all liability to
d.-aster passed.
In many ports Of the world the danger of
shipwreck is so imminent that vessels have to
lie with 'slip" on their anchor chains and
their sails hanging in the buntlines in readi-
ness TO get under way at moments notice.
In 1865 the Boston ship Harry Warren
was compelled to put to sea during one Of
these violent blows, and was buffeted about
for two weeks, after which she made Point
de Gale (Ceylon) completely dismasted anl
otherwise damaged Calcutta, which y
situated l3O miles ihlaha from the coast,
would be supposed to furnish a safe harbor,
but in 1868, and also IN lSo1 this the City OF
Palaces" was visited by terrific gales, which
tore vessels from their anchorage and drove
them across the river on to the Howrah side,
where in two blows over 100 'sail" were lost
and more than ten times that number Of
human lives sacrificed.
49,
IL IL not hovever of the horhOrs of tho
East Indies that this story treats, but OF the
dangers which surround some of those nearer
home, those OF the Bahama and West Indian
groups.
1t was in July, 1886, that the writer entered
the port Of Havana, Cuba, on board OF a
bark, which had brought coal from the far
northern shores Of Cape Breton. The weather
had, of course, grown gradually warmer as
we ran down our latitude, but even until wo
made the land the "trade winclsn blew cool
and refreshing following us close in to the
MORO Castle, but when we rounded the grim
old fortress. and its formidable piles of ma
sonry shut out the sight of the beautiful blue
sea, the hot, fetid air of the island struck us
with almost sitting effect, so sudden was the
contrast In fact. so potent was the change
that q large Newfoundland dog, which we
had brought from Cape Breton, ran stark
mad and had to he killed within half an hour
after entering the port,
On the second day, as we were discharging
our cargo of coal in the middle of the forenoon
one of the men began to complain of violent
pains in his head, back and legs. 1t was the
premonitory symptoms of the fever. and
medicines must be administered at once. as
the disease develops rapidly when once in the
system. 1 applied such remedies as nv
limited knowledge of medicine would allow
me to do, and saw the man snugly slowed
away in his bunk: then set the flag for the
doctor. He died the next night.
Four weeks we were obliged to remain in
this port, during which interval two more
men s,,ccumbed to the fatal disease: but the
tlay of departure came at last.
We were not bound north, however, but
up the coast to a place called Key Francis,
which is a small island on tho northern coast
Of Cuba, and about eighteen miles from Cal
BARREN, and where all vessels of any size
which take cargo from that port are obliged
to load, not being able to get up to the city
on account of the shallowness Of the water.
Although Key Francis offers a good harbor
and boasts of excellent holding ground for
anchors, still 1t was while lying here that an
incident occurred which nearly sent our ves-
sell with all on board, to the bottom.
We had just begun to load when fine
American bark came into port and anchored
about a quarter Of mile from us She had
also come up from Havana, and while in that
place we had become somewhat acquainted
with her officers, so that night after supper
her mate came aboard to spend the evening.
He brought tho news that he had left two
of his men in Havana, and Nsared that his
captain was coming down sick with the fever,
but lie could not help him any, as 'the old
man would not take anything III the shape OF
medicine
We could not resist the impulse to draw
little away from our visitor as he impaired
this unwelcome news; we had just begun to
congratulate ourselves that we had escaped
from the clutches OF the fatal fever, for the
port Of Key Francis Is very healthy, lying as
it does directly in the course OF the trade
winds, and no malaria or disease could re.
main long or even gain foothold there; and
yet our foe was in the midst OF us.
The morning Following the visit broke dark
and murky' the WIND was blowing from the
northeast ullite strong, and was QcCOmDanipd